StarSat, a Chinese language-owned firm that launched a direct problem 15 years in the past to MultiChoice Group’s DStv, has been ordered to close down.
Communications regulator Icasa confirmed in a press release on Friday that StarSat, which was launched by On Digital Media (ODM) in 2008 as TopTV, did not renew its working licence, and advised that in consequence, the corporate is exiting the native market.
Nevertheless, the corporate’s web site at starsat.co.za stays operational, and a name to the decision centre quantity listed there was answered inside seconds. When TechCentral requested an agent if it was nonetheless attainable to enroll in the satellite-based service, the publication was assured that we might certainly join.
StarSat/TopTV tried to supply a compelling various to DStv in South Africa however failed to achieve a lot traction, particularly within the absence of a complete sports activities providing to rival MultiChoice’s SuperSport.
StarSat seems now to be managed by StarTimes Group, a Chinese language firm based in 1998 by Pang Xinxing that serves viewers in markets throughout Africa.
In its assertion on Friday, Icasa mentioned ODM held a person broadcasting service licence for the availability of a industrial subscription tv broadcasting service. This licence was issued on 9 July 2008 for a 15-year interval that expired on 8 July 2023. However ODM “did not submit a licence renewal software throughout the required timeframe set by the Digital Communications Act and associated rules”, Icasa mentioned.
“The laws requires a licensee that holds a person broadcasting service licence to submit its renewal software to the authority no sooner than 12 months and no later than six months previous to the expiry of the licence,” it mentioned.
Expired
“Regardless of quite a few reminders, ODM submitted its licence renewal software after the expiry date on 10 November 2023. The authority doesn’t have the legislative or regulatory mandate to think about a renewal software for a licence that has already expired,” the regulator added.
Regardless of this, laws provides Icasa the discretion to permit a licensee to proceed to function because it winds up its affairs in order to guard its prospects. It mentioned it did this final October after which wrote to ODM and requested additional info, together with how a lot time it wanted to wind up its affairs and requested for its plan to tell subscribers of this.
“No reply to those questions was obtained. Accordingly, on the above-mentioned foundation, on 18 March 2024 the authority determined that ODM ought to wind up its affairs and stop offering broadcasting companies by 18 September 2024, and additional inform its subscribers [of this fact].”
Searching for touch upon Friday, TechCentral was advised by a private assistant to the administration staff at StarSat that nobody was accessible to remark and that we must always name again on Monday. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
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